Posted on by Myfrenchkitchen

Picnic by the Loire

Time for informal, relaxed picnics is here. Our summer weekends consist mostly of some working on the house and in the garden, some tennis, and then some extended dinners that linger along with our dusk…late and lazy. I love simple meals where colour and texture play a major role and each ingredient stands on its own. A long time ago, I once thought I made an innovative potato salad, just to have my youngest 10 year old daughter tell me: “I can’t eat this salad! It’s too complicated.”

That was a lesson never to be forgotten.

For a Sunday afternoon by the Loire river across our house, this is a typical salad we would pique nique on. Very ordinary, but spiced up with an interesting vinaigrette of your choice and accompanied by an array of cheese and grainy baguettes, not forgetting an ice cold Rosé, it becomes a meal I’m sure that is served frequently in paradise, which makes it one of the reasons why I intend on going there one day…

 

As usual, I don’t give a formal recipe , but will mention what I’ve used in my salad.

  • Cut some vegetables in different shapes…carrots in spaghetti, roasted red peppers (of which I don’t bother to remove the peel), some mango slices, a few slices of smoked duck and cooked quinoa with sauteed onion. (Read more about quinoa. )
  • A handful of fresh herbs; rocket, sage, large Italian parsley, chives, wild celeri and tarragon.
  • Vinaigrette: make a puree of the small pieces of mango that you cut off the seed. Add some white balsamic vinegar, some poppy vinegar, salt and pepper, a small finely chopped shallot and add olive oil to your taste and whisk until creamy. I prefer a pungent vinaigrette.
  • Add some cheese triangles, a handful of olives and a fresh baguette.
  • Pack some ice cream in a cool bag along with the wine, or fresh fruit for dessert.
  • And don’t forget a flask of good coffee for that wake-up call after the nap…
  1. Pack interesting layers of individual portions in picnic hampers.
  2. Take the vinaigrette separately in a little container and add to your salad just before serving.
  3. Finish off with cheese and fruit.

Bon appetit!

This is an entry for Weekend herb blogging, hosted this week by Laurie at Medcookingalaska

Posted on by Myfrenchkitchen

Omelet with asparagus and serrano

“Dear Lianelle

We have a long weekend coming up soon and your father told me to write you and tell you to come visit…

“…I received a phone call from Aunt Betty.  You know how very elegant and stylish she is, never cooking without her string of pearls? But then, let’s not forget the wonderful and elegant meals she broils up with those pearls!  She told me about her humiliating experience the other day and I just had to share this part with you…

” ‘Her granddaughter of five was visiting for the weekend, a real cutie she is, and asked Grandma for a boiled egg for lunch. While waiting for the water to come to boil, Aunt Betty put the egg, taken from the fridge door, into the pocket of her skirt, to get the edge off the cold egg. Then the telephone rang and now you also know that Aunt Betty does enjoy a telephone! After a final third goodbye to her good friend, sorting out their dates for their antique shopping and luncheon afterwards, she needed to drop in at the bathroom…..all those many cups of Earl grey she believes in drinking every day…..and right there is where disaster struck your elegant aunt and her precious raw egg, hidden and forgotten in her pocket!’

Now I’ll leave the rest up to your imagination! Suffice to say, elegant or not, when it comes to a raw egg in the pocket and a toilet seat, we’re all pretty much in the same kind of scramble!….

Love Mom”

PS: I’m sending you this omelet recipe your father and I had for dinner last night and just to be a little naughty I sent it to Aunt Betty too!

Omelet with asparagus and serrano

  • Tomato salsa: dice a mixture of red, yellow and orange tomatoes, sprinkle wit lemon juice, salt, pepper and drizzle with olive oil.
  • 2 eggs
  • a tablespoon of milk
  • knob of butter
  • 2 spring onions, roughly sliced on the diagonal.
  • salt and pepper tot taste
  • about 4 asparagus spears
  • some shredded serrano ham, or other ham of your choice
  1. Cut the tomatoes into dice, mix lightly and add salt and pepper, lemon juice and olive oil to taste.
  2. Steam the asparagus until just tender.
  3. Saute the spring onions quickly until translucent, but still bright green.
  4. Lightly beat two eggs, add a tablespoon of milk.
  5. Heat a small skillet, add the butter and pour in the beaten eggs. Break the egg lightly up with a fork and when it start to settle, leave on low heat until puffed up.
  6. Take from the heat while the top of the egg is still runny and slide off on a plate.
  7. Place the sauteed spring onion and 4 to 5 asparagus spears onto the one half of the omelet. Fold the other half over.
  8. Top with the shredded serrano ham, flavour with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil.
  9. Serve immediately with the tomato salsa on the side.

                                One portion

This post is dedicated to my dear friend Colette, who was the inspiration for this “story and recipe”. She was taken to hospital into intensive care today…Colette, get well soon, we have so many laughs (like this story) awaiting us all the tomorrows ahead..

This is an entry for WTSIM…breakfast favourites, hosted this month by Johanna at Thepassionatecook.